MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Penn State quarterback Drew Allar stated he was attempting to throw the ball into the bottom. Notre Dame defensive again Christian Grey dove for it anyway and — luck of the Irish — the ball ended up proper in his palms.
Just a few seconds later, Grey and Notre Dame discovered themselves with a spot within the nationwide title sport after a thrill-a-minute 27-24 victory over Penn State on Thursday evening within the Orange Bowl.
Grey’s snag of Allar’s ill-advised cross throughout the center on the Nittany Lions 42 with 33 seconds left, arrange a 19-yard drive that ended with Mitch Jeter’s profitable 41-yard area purpose.
The Irish (14-1), seeded seventh on this, the primary 12-team faculty playoff, could have an opportunity to convey their twelfth title and first since 1988 again underneath the Golden Dome with a sport Jan. 20 in Atlanta. Their opponent would be the winner Friday evening of the Texas-Ohio State semifinal within the Cotton Bowl.
“Simply catch the ball. Simply catch the ball,” Grey stated about his interception. “That was going by my thoughts and I knew I used to be going to make a play.”
Penn State QB was attempting to throw it away
Allar defined he noticed his first two choices lined on the play, then needed to throw the ball into the dust. However the throw, underneath strain and throughout his physique, didn’t have sufficient zip on it to succeed in both receiver Omari Evans or the bottom earlier than Grey slid in.
“Truthfully, I used to be attempting to throw it at his toes,” stated the junior quarterback, thought-about by some to be a first-round choose if he leaves for the NFL. “I ought to’ve thrown it away after I noticed the primary two progressions weren’t open. I didn’t execute.”
It was probably the most memorable play of a sport that was the most effective of what’s been a sleepy few weeks of playoff soccer. It featured three ties, three lead modifications and 31 factors within the fourth quarter alone.
Within the closing, Irish coach Marcus Freeman will attempt to turn out to be the primary Black coach to win the title at school soccer’s highest stage. Freeman, whose mom is South Korean, is also the primary coach of Asian heritage to get this far.
“We discovered a method to make a play when it mattered probably the most,” Freeman stated. “In my view, nice groups, nice packages, discover a manner to do this.”
Penn State coach James Franklin fell to 4-20 with the Nittany Lions in opposition to groups ranked within the AP High 10.
“Everybody needs to have a look at a selected play,” Franklin stated. “However there’s most likely eight to 12 performs in that sport that would have made a distinction. I’m not going to name out particular performs or particular gamers. There are a ton of performs the place we might have performed higher.”
Hit on Leonard shook up the QB and shook up the Irish
Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard shook off successful late within the second quarter that despatched him to the medical tent to be checked for a concussion. He got here again and led the Irish on 4 scoring drives within the second half, together with the final one.
“He’s a competitor and opponents discover a method to win, and that’s what Riley does,” Freeman stated. “That’s what this group does.”
Leonard completed with 223 yards passing, together with a key 10-yard dart to Jaden Greathouse to transform third-and-3 on the final drive. Leonard additionally had 35 yards dashing, and handed and ran for a rating every.
With 4:38 left within the sport, the senior quarterback hit Greathouse for a 54-yard rating to tie it at 24 after a defender slipped.
The sport began sluggish (and boring), however Riley’s damage injected life into issues. He led Notre Dame on TD drives of 75 and 72 yards within the third quarter to take a 17-10 lead.
At that time, the enjoyable was simply getting began.
Penn State had its probabilities, and Allar, together with all these Nittany Lions followers, will spend the offseason reliving that final throw — or attempting to overlook it.
Penn State compelled a Notre Dame punt and seemed assured of no less than going to extra time once they took over at their 15 with 47 seconds left.
After a acquire of 13, Allar dropped to cross and had strain coming. He threw throughout his physique to the center of the sector, the place Grey dove for the choose.
A assessment confirmed it was a catch, and the Irish have been onto the subsequent step on a highway that seemed all however inconceivable once they fell 16-14 to Northern Illinois again in September.
Nick Singleton ran for 84 yards and all three Penn State touchdowns. Off track for a lot of the day, Allar completed 12 for 23 for 135 yards with the interception.
“He’s hurting proper now. He must be. We’re all hurting,” Franklin stated.
The quarterback didn’t duck questions concerning the play or his position within the loss.
“We didn’t win the sport so it wasn’t adequate, it’s plain and easy,” Allar stated. “I’ll attempt to be taught from it, do all the pieces in my energy to get higher and simply develop from it.”
Cameo from Notre Dame’s backup
When Leonard went out, backup Steve Angeli got here in and injected life into the Combating Irish offense on the way in which to its first rating.
Angelli went 6 for 7 for 44 yards and moved Notre Dame to area purpose vary to trim its deficit to 10-3 simply earlier than halftime.
“We’ve a number of confidence in Steve,” Freeman stated when requested why he allowed the Irish to play aggressively when he entered.
Chilly Orange Bowl
The kickoff temperature was 56 levels, unseasonably cool for South Florida — and making it the second-coldest Orange Bowl ever, subsequent to the Georgia Tech-Iowa sport in 2010 that began at 49 and felt just like the higher 30s.
Up subsequent
Notre Dame will face both Ohio State or Texas within the CFP nationwide championship sport on Jan. 20. Penn State opens its 2025 season at house in opposition to Nevada on Aug. 30.
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